Composed at the beginning of 1841 at the request of the Viennese publisher Mechetti. The request was to provide a new work for the sheet music collection "Beethoven Album," the sales of which were to be used for the construction fund of the Beethoven monument in Bonn. In addition to Mendelssohn, ten other popular composers of the time, including Chopin, Czerny, and Liszt, participated.

In Mendelssohn's case, he provided a large-scale set of variations based on his own theme, rather than an homage to Beethoven.

It consists of a theme characterized by suspensions and chromaticism, followed by seventeen variations and a coda. The tonality consistently remains in D minor, except for the fourteenth variation, where it shifts to the parallel major (D major). Each variation's individuality is highlighted primarily through diverse transformations of its melodic figures. Its rich texture and masterful writing can be considered a hallmark of his mature period. It is reported that Mendelssohn himself was satisfied with the work's outcome.

Incidentally, Mendelssohn composed three sets of variations for piano, including this work, excluding early studies. All of them were composed within a short period from June to August 1841 (the subsequent two works are Andante assai espressivo in E-flat major, Op. 82, and Andante tranquillo in B-flat major, Op. 83, published posthumously in 1850).

This suggests Mendelssohn's cautious approach amidst the virtuoso trend of brilliant and technically demanding variations.